SO MANY OF THEIR SMILES WILL BEGIN WITH YOU…Organising a children’s birthday party is no walk in the park but finding the right balance of tastes, textures and colours is an art which can be mastered…

The trick is to think in miniature so as children have a taste of everything and can find those treats which hit the spot. This way, you will have plenty of empty plates and full tummies…

Lay everything out like a banquet so as young, inquisitive eyes can be drawn to those delicacies which appeal the most. Alternatively, you could present each child with a magical box of miniature treats all to themselves so as they do not miss out on trying something which could be overlooked on a large table.

Below you will find some tried and tested sweet and savoury ideas along with some valuable tips on how to make the pista resistence…the cake!

For a larger selection of recipes and even more mouth watering ideas, browse through the children’s party time pages which can be located in the food section.

Delicious savoury ideas…The humble sandwich– A party is not a party without a sandwich selection. Experiment with one slice of bread used as a base for delicious fillings rather than two pieces of bread between a filling. Let your imagination run wild and use shaped food cutters, cut off the crusts and make soldiers, triangles or even sandwich rounds.For more sandwich tips click here.

Pizza nibbles– Cut a conventional pizza into tiny squares small enough to fit into the tiniest palm. Avoid toppings which are over-spicy and stick with simple flavours such as cheese and tomato or vegetable.Try our tasty dairy free pizza recipe here.

Mini quiches– Good things really do come in little packages with nutritious fillings nestled into soft pastry. Little nuggets of delight for your young guests...Find the perfect quiche recipe here.

Teeny –Weenie Sausage Rolls and Party Sausages – the dinkier you can cut them, the better.

Baby vegetable batons and yummy dips- cut courgettes, carrots, cucumber and red peppers into matchstick sized pieces, serve with a tasty dip such as tomato and tofu or herby chick pea. Read on for oodles more dip recipes.

Sausages and cheesy pineapple sticks (for older children) – canapés will always disappear quickly as children are intrigued by the way that they are put together!

Good old fashioned crisps.

Sweets for the sweetBiscuits – chocolate or pink wafers and cornflake cakes are tasty and light so as not to upset playful tummies.Discover a tasty biscuit recipe here…Cakes - popular choices include home-made dairy free Battenberg (served as individual cubes) chocolate covered marshmallows and iced fairy cakes in pretty cases.Find more cake recipes here.Popcorn.
Fingers of fresh fruit.

Drinks Freshly squeezed juice– orange, peach or apple.
Homemade lemonades or squashes.Bought juice in cartons – but in moderation as they can suppress children’s appetites with their high sugar and carbohydrate content!Water– invest in some sparkling spring water so as children think that they are drinking lemonade! You could even add a dash or two of fresh orange juice to spruce it up a little.

The Big ‘C’ the cakeBrowse through the bakery aisle of any large supermarket and you will likely be spoilt for choice with the vast range of themed birthday cakes on offer. However, many parents prefer to make their own cake and simply use their creative minds to customize a humble sponge into a birthday cake fit for a king or queen. Then, all they need to make it even more special is some ready to roll icing and a few icing pens to put the cherry on top.

Why not give it a go? Making your own birthday cake is easier than you think and works out much more economical and healthier than any bought version. If you have children who need to follow a special diet, a homemade cake ensures that your child still has a personalised cake and does not have to settle for something plain and ordinary. By following the simple steps on the guide to cake decorating success link, you will be spoilt for choice with exciting ideas to make your children’s eyes light up as bright as the candles on their customized cake which was made especially for them, by you!

Click on the link now and benefit from the knowledge and wisdom of other parents who can show you how to avoid the mistakes that they made and give you some easy to follow tips…after reading these helpful suggestions you will realize that baking, icing and decorating really is a piece of cake!Sandwich suggestionsDo not use any nut spreadsand check that all sandwich ingredients are free from nuts and have not been manufactured in a factory which uses nut products. This is important as some children may have nut allergies.

Use a variety of dairy free fillingsso as children can experiment with new flavours and there is something for everyone to enjoy.

Don’t overfill sandwichesas children tend to drop fillings on the floor, over their clothes and smear weird and wonderful spreads into every nook and cranny around the house… but that grated dairy free cheese rarely ends up in their mouths!Keep sandwiches as dainty as possible – party discs are simply round pieces of bread which have been formed using a pastry cutter. A tasty dip is then transferred to an icing bag and squeezed onto the discs. Mini rolls are also fun and easy to make. Roll out a piece of bread with a rolling pin, remove the crusts, spread with soya margarine and jam or marmite etc., and roll up! You can even cut these bread rolls into even tinier mini rolls…

Alpro is the European pioneer in the development of mainstream soya-based food and drinks. For over 30 years, we have been championing a healthier, more sustainable way of producing tasty products that conserve the soya beans' unique nutritional value.